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By Nana Theresa Timothy and Raihanatu Saleh Hassan
Abuja Set to Host Landmark IEEE CTU Africa 2025 Summit
Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, will take center stage in Africa’s quest for universal connectivity as it hosts the IEEE Connecting the Unconnected Africa Summit 2025 (CTU Africa 25) on November 27–28 at Baze University.
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The summit is themed “Bridging Digital Frontiers: African Solutions for Universal Connectivity.” It is designed to accelerate inclusive digital development and drive policy reform. This is in addition to creating homegrown connectivity solutions tailored to Africa’s unique challenges.
Serving as a regional edition of the IEEE Connecting the Unconnected Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CTU-EMEA) Summit, CTU Africa 25 will bring together global and African technology leaders, policymakers, regulators, researchers, and innovators to chart a new course for digital transformation across the continent.
Driving Inclusive Digital Development and Rural Connectivity
According to Chukwuemeka Okafor, General Conference Chair for Connecting the Unconnected, the summit “will set the mark for supporting inclusive digital development in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.”
At the heart of this mission is the challenge of connecting more than 2.9 billion people worldwide. This includes over 100 million Nigerians who still lack access to stable or affordable internet services.
Nigeria’s rural communities remain among the most underserved, with gaps in telecom infrastructure, power supply, and financing. The summit aims to address these by developing actionable policy recommendations that can attract investors. Also, to encourage financial bodies to support small and medium operators to deploy affordable broadband infrastructure in remote regions.
“The goal is to bring all stakeholders together to identify the challenges, opportunities, and financing realities while developing policies that support inclusive connectivity,” Okafor stated.
Eight Strategic Tracks for Deep, Sustainable Impact
CTU Africa 25 is structured around eight thematic tracks that address the most pressing dimensions of Africa’s connectivity ecosystem:
- Infrastructure and Technologies for Universal Connectivity
- Policy, Regulation, and Sustainable Financing
- Rural and Community-Centric Connectivity Innovations
- Digital Transformation in Smart Cities, Education, Health, and Agriculture
- Regional Cooperation: One Africa Network and Cross-Border Initiatives
- Sustainable Power & Energy for Connected Communities
- People, Policy, and Sustainability
- Cybersecurity, Data Protection, and Critical Infrastructure
Each track provides a multi-sector platform for collaboration among governments, private sector players, academia, and civil society. All of these stakeholders to deliver scalable and context-sensitive solutions to Africa’s digital divide.
Policy Reform and Investment Opportunities
A central focus of the summit will be on sustainable financing frameworks that can unlock investment in rural connectivity projects.
By engaging banks, development finance institutions, and telecom operators, the summit will explore financing mechanisms and public-private partnerships (PPPs) that make telecom deployment in low-income or rural areas more attractive to investors.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is expected to play a leading role, as IEEE explores deeper collaboration with the agency to strengthen its rural telephony initiatives and expand coverage to unserved communities.
Such discussions align with Nigeria’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) and the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Both policy thrusts prioritize digital inclusion, innovation, and economic diversification.
Showcasing African Innovation: Startups, Exhibitions, and Global Collaboration
The two-day summit will feature keynote addresses from global technology leaders, panel discussions, technical paper presentations, and hands-on workshops.
A major highlight will be the startup showcase, where African innovators will present connectivity and digital inclusion solutions to potential investors. IEEE has confirmed ongoing discussions with Nokia to support this initiative.
An exhibition area will also spotlight cutting-edge technologies and connectivity tools, giving participants a firsthand look at innovations driving Africa’s digital transformation.
Strengthening Nigeria’s Digital Economy and Policy Direction
Hosting the IEEE CTU Africa 2025 Summit positions Nigeria as a thought leader in Africa’s digital economy. The country stands to gain immensely from policy insights, global collaborations, and technical knowledge shared during the event.
For policymakers, the summit provides an opportunity to rethink Nigeria’s connectivity and digital inclusion strategies—especially around spectrum management, infrastructure sharing, and broadband financing.
For the private sector, it creates a platform to form partnerships, explore investment opportunities, and align innovations with national and regional development goals.
“This event is about more than technology—it’s about empowering governments to protect resources, ensure transparency, and recover revenues that can be reinvested in public services,” Okafor emphasized.
A Catalyst for Universal Connectivity and Policy Renewal
The IEEE CTU Africa 2025 Summit promises to be a turning point in Africa’s digital inclusion journey—providing the roadmap for universal connectivity, regional cooperation, and policy-driven growth.
As Nigeria prepares to welcome global experts, investors, and policymakers, the summit represents a unique opportunity for the government to leverage international expertise to refine its digital economy agenda, bridge the rural connectivity gap, and position the nation as Africa’s innovation hub.
